Electrical switches



June 21, 1955 c. T. YOUNG ELECTRICAL SWITCHES Filed Jan. 26. 1954 NEY United States Patent() ELECTRICAL SWITCHES Charles T. Young, Elon College, N. C.

Application January 26, 1954, Serial No. 406,146

4 Claims. (Cl. 200-6) This invention relates to electrical switches, and more particularly to those of a type adapted for use in motor vehicles as so-called dimmer switches for the control of the lights, and for many other purposes.

With switches of known construction used for this purpose, it is necessary for the automobile operator, when desiring to change from bright to dim lights or vice versa, to depress a foot button. This will illuminate the dim lights, which will continue to burn until the foot button is again depressed, which will restore the bright lights to operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch which will permit a transition from bright to dim lights or vice versa by depression of a foot button, and which will permit the dim lights or bright lights as the case may be, to remain illuminated only as long as the foot pressure remains on the button. In many instances, when driving a car, the change from bright to dim lights is required for very short duration,`and such as when passing a car coming in the opposite direction, and hence it is often found desirable to have a switch which will restore the initial light operation upon the release of foot pres sure from the operating button. This permits the driver, when passing another car, to lightly depress the button and change from bright to dim lights, and which condition will prevail as long as the light pressure of his foot continues on the button. As soon as the pressure of the foot is released on the button the bright lights will again be illuminated and will remain illuminated until pressure is again imposed on the button.

The invention also contemplates the provision in the same switch, of means by which operation may be had similarly to that of the conventionaldimmer switch. That is to say, the foot button may be depressed firmly to change from bright to dim lights or vice versa, the foot pressure then released, in which instance the dim lights will be illuminated and will remain so until the button is again rmly depressed and released, whereupon the bright lights will be restored to operation.V It will be apparent therefore, that the improved switch can be operated in several ways and according to the extent of depression of the foot button, and which will determine whether the change from one pair of lights to the other shall remain until the button is again depressed or whether removal of the foot pressure will return the lights tothe operating condition which existed prior to the depression of the button.

In the ensuing description of the improved switch I have described the structure as intended for adaptation in connection with automobiles. It is obvious however, that a switch of the kind to be described has many other uses. Hence the use of the same as herein described is to be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the invention to such particular use.

With the above objects and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in View, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

rice

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the improved switch, with the cover member of the switch housing or shell removed to disclose construction;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the switch on a slightly reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View in perspective of a portion of the operating bar or plunger;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the switch;

Fig. 5 shows the electrical circuit, and Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates how the operating bar or plunger is cleared by parts of the disk when the bar or plunger is fully depressed.

Referring to the drawing 1 indicates a base or mounting member, which may be of any suitable size and shape according to the location and manner of installation of the switch. In the form shown, the base member is in the form of a metallic plate having a laterally-bent ange 2. Mounted upon the plate 1 in any desired way is the cylindrical switch housing or shell 3, which is closed at the back by base plate 1 and has its opposite end normally closed by the removable closure cap indicated at 34 in Fig. 2. The housing or shell 3 is notched as indicated at 4 and 5 and slidably guided through these notches is the operating bar or plunger 6. An aperture 7 in the flange 2 guides the bar or plunger 6 into a fixed sleeve E mounted on, secured to and extending from the tlange 2, as clearly shown in Fig. l. A coil spring 9 surrounds the part of the bar 6 that is located in the sleeve 8, and said spring is operative between the flange 2 and a cap member or head 19 in a manner to normally urge the bar or plunger 6 to the retracted position shown in Fig. l. The cap member 19 constitutes a foot or push-button and is attached to the end of the operating bar or plunger 6 by means of the screw 20 or by other suitable fastening means. The arrangement is such that the cap member 19 slides smoothly over the sleeve 8 when pressure is imposed on the member 19 to thereby slide the operating bar or plunger through the notches 4 and 5 and aperture 7 to the right, to operate the switch in the manner to be explained. The spring 9 will restore the operating bar to its retracted position when the foot pressure is relieved on the cap 9.

Secured to the inner face of the wall of the housing 3 are the three separated and independent arcuate segments indicated respectively at 10, 12 and 13. These segments are composed of metal, and are insulated from the housing 3 by means of insulating material 21 disposed between the housing and the segments. It will be noted that the segment indicated at 10 is of greater length than the two segments 12 and 13, said segment 10 extending for approximately one-half of the internal circumference of the housing, while each of the segments shown at 12 and 13 extends for approximately one-quarter of the distance around the interior of the housing.

The segment shown at 10 is provided with a binding post 24 extending through and insulated from the housing or shell 3. Similarly, the segment 12 is provided with a binding post 23 and the segment 13 with the binding post 22. As will be noted from the diagram shown in Fig. 5, the binding post 24 on segment 1t) is connected by the wire 50 to one side of the battery 51. The binding post 22 on the segment 13 is connected by the wire S2 to one or more dim lights 53 connected to the second side of the battery. Binding post 23 is connected by wire 54 to one or more bright lights 55 which are connected to the second side of the battery 51.

Mounted for intermittent rotative movement within the shell or housing 3 is a disk 25 which is rotatable on a shaft 26 located at the center of the housing, said disk being rotatively retained on the shaft by the split washer 27. Extending radially from the center of the disk 25 to slightly beyond the periphery of the same is a plurality of arms or tins indicated respectively at 14 to 17 inclusive. There are four of these tins employed on the disk and the same are adapted to be engaged in sequence by parts of the operating bar or plunger 6 in order to rotate the disk a quarter of a turn, or less, each time that the foot button 19 is depressed Ato a predetermined extent.

It will be noted that the bar or plunger 6 is provided with a slot di) in which is pivoted on the pin 31, a latch shown at 30. Said latch is normally held in its projected or operative position, or that shown in Fig. 4, by means of the leaf spring 32 operative against one edge of the latch. Said spring 32 is secured to the bar or plunger 6 4by means of the screws 33 or by equivalent fastening means. At its free end, the latch 30 has an enlargement or head formed with an angular cam surface 35. For some distance 'in from its free end, the bar or plunger 6 is formed with an elongated strip portion or flange 28 terminating in a tapered end or shoulder 29 slightly spaced from the end ofthe latch 30, and for a distance sufficient to permit any one of the tins 14 to 17 to enter between the end of the latch 30 and the end 29 of the flange 23 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Secured to the periphery of the disk 25 by the screws 56 or other fastening elements, is a leaf-spring sliding contactor or nger 36, the same being insulated from the disk by the insulation strip shown at 37. The ends of the sliding contactor or linger 36 are slightly hooked as indicated at 38 and 39, which ends constitute spring lingers frictionally contacting against the several segments 10, 12 and 13 according to the position of the disk. The fastening screws 56 are also insulated from the contacter 36.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved switch will be readily understood. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, it will be observed that the end 38 of the contactor strip 36 is in contact with the segment that is connected to the battery by wire 50. The opposite end of the contactor strip, or that shown at 39, is at this time in contact with the segment 13, so that it is apparent that the dim lights 53 are illuminated. Assuming that the car operator desires to temporarily or momentarily illuminate the bright lights, he will apply relatively light pressure on the foot button 19 and sufficient to force the bar or plunger 6 inwardly for about one-eighth turn of the disk 25 and to an extent sufciently to rotate the disk 25 clockwisely and sutliciently to bring the end 39 of the strip contactor 36 away from the segment 13 and into contact with the segment 12. Thus at this time one end of the strip will be contacting with the segment 12 and the other end, or that indicated at 38, will remain in contact with the segment 10. This will cause illumination of the bright lights 55 and will cause the extinguishing of the dim lights 53, and this condition will prevail as long as the operator keeps his foot in relatively light contact with the button 19. If it be assumed that the operator desires to keep the bright lights burning for a greater period of time he will merely apply greater' pressure on the foot button until the operating bar or plunger is pushed inwardly to the limit. The result of this will be noted in Fig. 6, wherein it will be seen that the disk 25 has been rotated a quarter turn and this has brought the fin to a position which moved it out of the space between the latch 3i) and shoulder 29,v and when pressure is released on the foot button the bar or plunger will be moved by the spring to the left without rotating the disk. This can occur because the shoulder 29 has cleared the lin 15 and the cam surface 3S of the latch can ride over the fin 14 until the head of the latch moves into position behind that 1in.

When the disk has been moved for a quarter turn as just described, the strip contactor or finger 36 will still be establishing contact between the segments 10 and 12 and hence the bright lights will remain illuminated, when foot pressure is relieved from the foot button. Assuming now that a car approaches and the operator now desires` to momentarily shift from bright to dim lights, he applies light pressure on the foot button and sulcient to move the disk about one-eighth of a turn. This will move the end 39 of the contacter strip or finger 36 from olf segment 12 and onto segment 10, while at the same time, end 38 of the strip will move from segment 10 to contact with segment 13. This will illuminate the dim lights 53 while extinguishing the bright lights 55 and the dim lights will continue to burn as long as the light pressure is continued on the foot button. It the foot is removed from the button, the spring 9 will move the bar or plunger 6 to the left and since the iin on the disk that is engaged between the end of the ange 28 and the latch 30 will not have been moved a quarter turn or sulicient to enable it to clear the bar 6, the disk will be rotated counter-clockwise to its initial position and bring the strip 36 into position to bridge between segment 12 and segment 10 and restore operation of the bright lights. vShould it be desired to have the dim lights continue in operation for a substantially long period of time without requiring the maintenance of foot pressure on the button 19, the button is merely depressed fully to cause a quarter turn of the disk 25 to take place, whereupon pressure on the foot button is removedand the bar or plunger 6 will spring back to its retracted position leaving the disk advanced for a quarter turn and the strip contactor bridging the segments 10 and 13 and the dim lights illuminated.

From the foregoing it will be clear that by light pressure applied on the foot button and by the retention of the -foot pressure thereon, a change will be had from one set of lights to the other and lsuch change maintained as long as the foot pressure is maintained on the button.

, When full pressure is imposed on the button, the disk is rotated for a quarter turn; the change, from one set of lights to the other is had, and is maintained after the foot pressure is released and is altered by again pressing on the foot button either lightly or completely.

By the employment of a switch of this character, a control of the lights is had in the most desirable manner. The change from one set of lights to another for momentary or short-period use is attained by a single light depression of the foot button and by the retention of such pressure on the button. On the other hand, conventional operation of the switch is had by full depression to change from one set of lights to the other; release of the pressure to allow the change in lighting to remain, and second depression on the button to again change the lighting.

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A switch for operating either bright or dim lights, said switch having three Contact segments, one of said segments being of greater length than the other two, a sliding linger of such length as to always have one of its ends in contact with the longer segment and its other end in selective contact with either of the other two segments, a disk by which the contact finger is carried, a plunger engaging the disk and capable of rotatively moving rthe disk for a quarter turn or less, the plunger when moving the disk for a quarter turn acting to move one end ofthe linger from -one segment to another and on the return movement of the plunger permitting the linger to remain in that position, the plunger when moved for less than a quarter turn also moving the finger to cause one of its ends to move from one segment to another, and said plunger, when returning from said latter movement acting to restore the -nger to its Contact position prior to the starting of such movement of the plunger.

2. In a switch, a plurality of segments, a disk carrying a peripheral contact inger operating against the segments, the disk having radial tins, a plunger having a recess in which the fins successively engage, the tins being positioned to cause the disk to move through a quarter turn on each full stroke of the plunger, the plunger having means to free it from the disk at the end of said full stroke, the plunger being also capable of a partial stroke to thereby move the disk for less than a quarter turn, and means on the plunger for causing a return movement of the disk when the plunger is returned at the end of said partial stroke.

3. A switch for operating either bright or dim lights, said switch having several Contact segments, one of said segments being of greater length than the others, a sliding nger being of such length as to always have one of its ends in contact with the longer segment and its other end in selective contact with any of the other segments, a disk by which the contact nger is carried, a plunger engaging the disk and capable of moving the disk for a quarter turn or less, the plunger when moving the disk for a quarter turn acting to move one end or' the finger from one segment to another and on the return movement of the plunger permitting the finger to remain in that position, the plunger when moved for less than a quarter turn also moving the nger to cause one of its ends to move from one segment to another, and said plunger, when returning from said latter movement acting to restore the nger to its contact position prior to the starting of such movement of the plunger, and spring means for returning the plunger after each stroke.

4. In a switch, a plurality of segments, a disk carrying a peripheral Contact linger operating against the ments, the disk having a plurality or" radial ns, a plunger having a recess in which the fins successively engage, spring-pressed latch on the plunger, Vthe ns bein positioned to cause the disk to move through a quarter 'turn on each full depression of the plunger, the plunger having means to free it from the disk at the er1-:l of said full stroke, the plunger being also capable of a partial stroke to thereby move the disk for less than a quarter stroke, and means on the plunger for causing a return movement of the disk when the plunger is returned at the end of said partial stroke, the latch means on the plunger causing the plunger to freely pass any hn over which it passes on the return movement of the plunger.

leerenees Cited in the le of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,909,107 Kelly May 16, 1933 2,154,796 fs/hittington Apr. 18, 1939 2,213,625 Cummings Sept. 3, 1940 2,231,387 Jones Feb. ll, 194i 2,377,706 McGill June 5, 1945 2,541,711 Mosovsky Feb. 13, 1951 2,604,555 Pearr July 22, 1952 

